If you say so
by slash-whump-addict
Summary: Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the story!     Set during 'Conversion' - following the explosion, Lorne appears to have sustained more of an injury than was first suspected. Ronon takes care of him.
1. Chapter 1

_**If you say so**_

_A/N – Set during 'Conversion', and AU in that Sheppard accompanied the team on the initial mission to collect eggs. His transformation has progressed to the stage it was during the follow up mission. There's a reason for it, and it's only a tiny bit of the story, so just go with it!_

**Chapter 1**

Ronon knew from the minute he fired his gun at the Iratus bug hovering over Carson's head, that this mission was futile. There was no way they were going to be able to collect the eggs they needed to cure Sheppard. As he headed towards the mouth of the cave, he could hear Lorne telling them to get out of there. He picked up speed as he heard the Major's cry of 'fire in the hole'… the next thing he knew, their whole party were thrown to the ground in the wake of the explosion.

His ears were still ringing as he listened to Carson protest at Lorne's order to get back to the Gate. He made no such protest himself, knowing that Lorne was right - it's what they _had_ to do, not what they _wanted_ to do that mattered. As he looked between Beckett and McKay, he expected more argument, expected to have to physically move McKay, but thankfully he seemed to be using his over-sized brain to good effect and said nothing. Lorne was Sheppard's XO, and even if Ronon didn't like the orders Lorne gave on occasion, he followed them because it's what soldiers do. He heaved Sheppard onto his shoulders, and set off behind Lorne and headed towards the Gate.

They'd been walking only a couple of minutes when Ronon heard Lorne moaning loudly. He looked over to see the Major staggering slightly as he walked. "Lorne?" he shouted, "You OK?" Startled by Ronon's shout, the Major spun quickly towards Ronon's voice, losing his balance, landing on his hands and knees on the ground with a loud thud.

Carson ran over to him, "Major, what is it?" Swaying on the spot, despite being on all fours, Lorne lifted his head and with a dazed expression on his face, said "Hey Doc, what are you doing here? Is it Thursday already? " Looking concerned, Carson replied, "Major…do you know where you are?"

"Sure I do Doc!" he said with a slight chuckle, which quickly turned to a frown, "Why…don't you?" Kneeling down on the ground Carson placed his hand on Lorne's shoulders and gently eased him into a sitting position. "Major, how are you feeling?"

After looking like he was deep in thought for a few seconds, Lorne announced, "I think I had a few too many beers Doc." He then started chuckling, and a few seconds later, he added "Oops!"

Muttering under his breath, Carson pulled out a small torch from his backpack and lifted it to Lorne's face. "Major I need to look into your eyes with this light."

Lorne looked at Beckett with a confused look on his face. "My eyes are blue, you don't need a light to see that!" he said as he waved a dismissive hand on front of his own face.

"Follow my finger Major" Carson ordered as he held his index finger up a few inches away from Lorne's nose. He watched as Carson moved it in various directions, before closing his eyes and saying "You're giving me a headache Doc."

Ronon laid Sheppard's unconscious – and heavy - form down on the ground as gently as possible, and ordered McKay to watch him, ignoring the protest that he knew was leaving the scientist's lips. He frowned as Carson sighed deeply before looking up at the Satedan. "He has a concussion - we need to get him back to Atlantis so I can treat him. The sooner the better." he added, "The last thing we need is the first _and _second in command in the Infirmary.

Nodding, Ronon approached the two men as Lorne was pushing Carson's hands away from his head. "_Gerroffme Doc_" he shouted. Carson raised his voice in an authoritative way.

"Major, listen to me! You have a concussion. I need to see if you have a head wound and stem any bleeding."

"I'm FINE!" Lorne protested, pushing himself up off the ground. He almost made it to an upright position before losing his balance again and falling forward. Ronon was just in time to catch him, and stumbled himself under the sudden weight. Lorne placed his hands on Ronon's chest for support while the Satedan steadied them both.

"Whoa, easy there buddy!" the bigger man said. Lorne looked up at him with a goofy smile,

"Hey Ronon!" he said cheerfully. He then lowered his voice to a whisper, "Think I had a few too many beers!"

Laughing to himself, Ronon said "Something like that, yeah!" He twisted his head to where the rest of his team was. "Hey, Teyla!" he called, and gestured towards Lorne, 'Can you, er, talk to him or something? You two always seem to have things to say to each other." He shifted the Major towards the direction of the Gate as Teyla arrived, then stepped back to allow her smaller frame to move towards Lorne.

"Teyla! Hey there, Teyla!" Lorne shouted, throwing and arm around her shoulder. With the other hand he tugged on Ronon's arm, "Look Ronon, Teyla's here. She's a great gal isn't she?" he beamed.

"Er, yeah… she is." The taller man replied, smirking and winking at Teyla, who simply raised an eyebrow at him. Everyone knew there were rumours that she and Lorne were more than friends, but Ronon never read anything into it. It was their business what they did or didn't get up to in their downtime, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy teasing her. He was about to do just that, when Carson's walkie talkie beeped.

They watched as the doctor unhooked the device from his belt and began his conversation, but didn't get chance to hear any of it due to the fact that Lorne was attempting to wriggle from Teyla's grasp, meaning Ronon had to step in again. The two men were pushing and shoving each other by the time Carson got back to them. Lorne was shoving away from them with choruses of "I can do this myself" and "I'm fine damn it!", though swaying on the spot with each grumble.

Ronon's growls grew louder each time he had to steady Lorne yet again. Ronon rolled his eyes and glared at Lorne, who was now looking blurry eyed, and like he had actually had a few too many beers. The Major's knees seemed to be struggling to hold up his weight, leaving Ronon no choice but to take the strain. Wordlessly, Teyla slipped away and went back to where Sheppard and McKay were.

"Can we go now Doc 'cause we don't know how much longer Sheppard's gonna be out, and I really might have to shoot Lorne if he carries on like this!" Ronon said through gritted teeth. "At this rate we'll have to carry them both, and I'm strong but not that strong" he said, before noticing the worried look on the Scotsman's face. "What is it?"

Carson's brow furrowed and he took a deep breath, so instinctively Ronon knew something was _really_ wrong. "That was Atlantis. Multiple SG teams have been ambushed by what appears to be Genii troops. There's been no deaths that we know of, but it was a co-ordinated attack and they hit hard. They're probably just letting us know they're still around, but until I get back there I won't know serious the extent of the injuries are." He opened his mouth the say more, but was cut off by a strangled cry from McKay.

"He moved!" he cried, pointing at Sheppard, who was still out cold on the ground. "What if he's waking up? What are we going to do with him?" his voice getting steadily higher. Looking between the two injured men, Carson frowned.

"If the Colonel is coming round we need to get him back to the Infirmary where he can be restrained until we get a cure from those stem cells. That's not going to be easy with other casualties to tend to." He looked at his watch, at Sheppard, back to their surroundings, and finally at Lorne before turning back to the Satedan. "Ronon could you…?"

Nodding, the taller man said, "Go, get him back, I'll stay with Lorne until he's safe to move without him falling over. We can't take the chance of having both of them unconscious at once; we'd have no way of defending ourselves if we were to be attacked too."

Carson nodded, "OK thanks, big man. Don't let him fall asleep, and don't give him anything to eat or drink. I'll make sure Elizabeth sends a Jumper as soon as we get back."

**TBC**...


	2. Chapter 2

If you say so - chapter 2  
  
As he guided Lorne to a nearby rock big enough for them both to sit on, Ronon watched as his teammates struggled to carry the dead weight of their commanding officer. There really was no way they could carry both men, but that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about being there in this situation. If they were attacked, Lorne wouldn't be much help, but at least two men could hide more effectively than five if it came down to it.

He sat as far back on the rock as he could and pulled the other man down in front of him, shifting the Major's weight so it wasn't crushing his chest. It was the first time he'd noticed how well built the smaller man actually was; and he'd bet that he was almost as broad as the Satedan himself. Time passed, and he felt a little silly sat on a rock in the middle of a forest cradling a semi-conscious Lorne.

Again he wondered whether he should've gone back to Atlantis, and maybe made McKay stay here on P3X wherever the fuck they were. He only realised he'd laughed out loud at the thought of Lorne's exasperated face as that realisation struck that he was alone with McKay; when the Major asked lazily, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, sorry… I…er…I was just thinking how it might've been better if McKay had stayed with you. Beckett said you have to be kept awake, and…I'm not…I'm not much of a talker." he shrugged.

Lorne gasped and laughed at the same time "Fuck no! Been there, done that... I swear I'll shoot him next time!" Although his words were audible, they were becoming more slurred, and Ronon began to panic. He didn't have a clue what he should do – when it came to people with injuries, he'd always taken people wherever they needed to be, and then left it to the experts.

Lorne was muttering again, "McKay! Pfft…can't believe you said that… shoot him… shoot next time." Ronon jumped as Lorne sat bolt upright and grabbed at the front of his tac vest. "My gun, where's my gun?" He was clearly panicked, turning his head in all directions looking for his gun through groggy eyes.

Ronon actually had no idea where the P-90 was, though he could see his sidearm tucked safely into his thigh holster; but to try and calm the major down, he held him tighter, assuring him that they were safe and didn't need the weapon. "I've got mine and that's all we need."

He froze when Lorne lowered his hand and ran it the length of the Satedan's leather clad thigh. They both breathed a sigh of relief Lorne's hand settled around Ronon's own holstered weapon. It was Ronon that muttered this time, "It's a good job you're out of it Major, if you'd done that any other time you probably wouldn't still be standing."

Lorne chuckled, "If you say so."

Ronon's panic came back, what was Lorne insinuating? "What? Oh, never mind. I'm not sure I want to know what the hell that's supposed to mean. You've had a knock on the head; you don't know what's what!"

Lorne said nothing, just shuffled slightly on the rock, shifting his hips until he got comfortable.

When Ronon felt Lorne's head resting on his shoulder, he sat them forward slightly. "Lorne! You gotta stay awake!" he said, shaking him slightly.

"'m away…no, now away…awake…trying…more…get…more…comfportle. I mean…constiple. Shit, wait, that's wrong too…" the Major grumbled. After whispering to himself, he finally found the word was searching for. "Comfortable!" he shouted. "Not now though, thinkin' hurts… head…ow… hurts."

He pushed himself away from Ronon and tried to stand up. Ronon pulled him back slightly but Lorne managed to break from his grip only to start falling straight over. Jumping up from the rock, the Satedan again just about caught the Major, one hand around the waist, the other swiping at him and eventually grabbing his belt. They both staggered back and landed back on the rock with a loud "Oomph".

The bigger man tightened his grip around Lorne's waist and put his other arm around his chest. "Sit…_still_, damn it!" he ordered.

He felt the smaller man tense in his arms, and slur grumpily. "Don't give me orders Ronon. Sheppard does that…m' job...have to follow 'em. _You_ can just _ask_ me…hardly likely to say no to you am I?" He wagged his finger in the air and continued muttering. "Haha, that's funny…me saying no to_ you_!"

Ronon wondered exactly how hard Lorne had hit his head when he fell! "OK, OK." Ronon said, loosening his grip. "Sit still, please?"

Lorne relaxed against him, smiling. "OK, can do."

"You touched my ass!" Lorne giggled a couple of minutes later.

"What? No I didn't!" Ronon spat, having not moved a muscle since they sat back down. He immediately started to worry if Lorne was hallucinating, hoping that he wasn't experiencing things in his own head.

"You did! When…when you pulled me back" the Major said dreamily, watching his own hand as he waved lazily it in front of his face. The penny dropping, Ronon realised that when he'd made a grab for Lorne earlier, his hand must've reached lower before he managed to get a grip on his belt.

"Uh, sorry…didn't mean to. It won't happen again."

Lorne sighed deeply, "If you say so… 's a shame I don't believe it."

Ronon was now starting to getting pissed off with Lorne implying things. Was he implying something, or was confusion catching now? Did it really matter? Clearly, it did. "Stop saying that. You don't even know me, so you don't know that I only ever say what I mean."

Wriggling again, Lorne simply laughed, causing Ronon to let out a frustrated growl.

After a few minutes of near silence Lorne raised his hand to his head, moaning. "My head hurts." He poked at spots in his own head, wincing when he touched the crown. Ronon watched as Lorne pulled his hand away, two fingers covered in blood.

"Damn it!" he rumbled as he pulled the Major's hand away and inspected the wound himself. He nudged Lorne forward and pulled open various pocket on the tac vest until he found the emergency bandages.

Lorne wobbled where he sat, and with much persuasion Ronon managed to get him to slide onto the floor and lean against a nearby tree. He knelt and began dressing Lorne's head wound. What the hell was taking Atlantis so long to send that Jumper? He was becoming _really_ uncomfortable with the situation. Thoughts ran through his head - what if Lorne passed out? What would he do? What_ should_ he do? He told himself that it wouldn't be long until help came; all he had to do was keep Lorne awake…somehow.

Satisfied that the bandage would stem the bleeding from the wound, he lifted the smaller man's chin so they were eye to eye. "Do you think you can make it to the Gate if we take it slowly?" Lorne's eyes were still unfocused, but he nodded. Pulling him up, Ronon put his arm around Lorne's waist – carefully avoiding his ass, just in case - and moved the Major's arm around his shoulder. It wasn't ideal but it would have to do.

After a few steps the Major stumbled, "Shit, who gave me all this beer?"

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Ronon tightened his grip around the man's waist, "It's OK, I've got you."

"Ya sure do!" Lorne slurred. Ronon gritted his teeth - this was going to be a very long walk!

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

_**If you say so**_

**Chapter 3**

It began to rain ten minutes after they'd set off, and the air was getting cooler. Ronon scanned the forest surrounding them and spotted a patch of dry looking ground. It was mostly covered by thick trees, and looked like it would provide enough shelter until the rain went off. He awkwardly steered Lorne towards the area, made all the more difficult by the fact that Lorne now had his head thrown back, mouth agape, and catching the rain on his tongue.

"Hey, come on, we're gonna get soaked!" the Satedan huffed.

Lorne stood his ground and pulled away from him. "I'm thirsty!"

Ronon's frustration was peaking again - the last thing he needed was to be stuck here with Lorne in this state, AND soaked to the bone at the same time. The Major was still catching the rain - which was becoming steadily heavier – when eventually Ronon pulled him towards the sheltered patch. He was totally ignoring the instructions to stop, and look where he was going. Wracking his brains how he could get Lorne moving, Ronon made a rash decision and slapped Lorne quick and hard on the ass.

The Major jumped and span round so fast that he lost his balance and fell face first into the bigger man's broad chest. "_What the hell was that for_?" he squeaked.

Now forcibly dragging Lorne under the trees, Ronon shrugged. "It got your attention, didn't it?" He couldn't help the smirk spreading across his face, as he lowered Lorne to the ground and sat down next to him. He didn't know what possessed him to smack Lorne, but the Major's face sure was a picture!

Lorne began shifting uncomfortably again, then began pawing at his tac vest. "All wet" he said, his voice even more slurred now, like he was half asleep. He managed to get the vest unzipped before starting to tip over to one side. Ronon grabbed him again, and manoeuvred between Lorne's legs to pull the vest off. His jacket was wet too, and he sighed deeply as he began tugging that off as well. It was too wet to leave on, given that the temperature still seemed to be dropping, so he took off his own leather coat and wrapped it around Lorne's shoulders.

"Such a gentleman!" the smaller man laughed. His head lifted suddenly and his eyes widened as he pointed to something over Ronon's shoulder. "Blue bunnies, how cool is _that_?" he said excitedly.

Ronon looked around and saw nothing but trees. "OK Major, _if you say so_!" he teased, with a wink. Their eyes met and Ronon chuckled to himself at the slightly affronted look on Lorne's face.

"Hey, you said we're not allowed to say that!" he said, whilst poking a finger into Ronon's chest. He gestured his head into the distance, "They're blue, I swear!", then started muttering to himself. "You're funny…always liked you…nice guy…know how to handle yourself…kind eyes…great ass…kinda guy you want around…so thirsty…ooh look, there's a green one!" he trailed off. His head dropped forward onto his chest and he stilled.

Ronon shook his head in confusion. Did Lorne just say he had a great ass? He must've misheard that bit, but then again, the guy WAS convinced he was seeing strange coloured rabbits, after all! Despite himself, the Satedan quietly said "Thanks." as he sat himself down.

"Where the _hell_ is that freakin' Jumper?" Ronon barked while he paced around the patch of ground. It had been at least an hour since Beckett and McKay had carried Sheppard off back to the Gate. The rain was getting heavier still, and the dampness was starting to make him feel cold. He looked around at Lorne, whose head was falling onto his chest again. Dashing over, he shook him gently. "Hey! Stay awake! Lorne, talk to me - tell me about…Earth." It was the first thing that came to mind.

Lorne shrugged. "'It's nice…prefer it here though." _Helpful_, Ronon thought. OK, what else?

"Tell me about you then, what kind of things do you like to do in your down time?"

Lorne half-laughed, "Nothing you'd be interested in!"

Ronon frowned, "How do you know what I'd be interested in? Come on, tell me."

Lorne shook his head, wincing as the pain kicked in from the movement. "Can't…too cold." Only as he said the words, did Ronon notice that the man was shivering. Knowing that body heat was the best way to warm both of them up, he pulled his leather coat off Lorne, who protested loudly.

"It's OK." he said, "There's room for us both." He sat down and wrapped the coat around them, and Lorne shifted closer. Heat flooded through Ronon's side where they touched; and he realised how cold he actually was himself. Lorne was still shivering, so Ronon wrapped him arm around the smaller man's shoulders, pulling him closer. "Come on Lorne, talk to me."

The Major sighed deeply. "My name's Evan. No-one ever calls me that. Lorne's my work name." He looked up at Ronon, blue eyes almost pleading, "Call me Evan?"

Raising his eyebrows and shrugging, Ronon said "OK then _Evan_, tell me something interesting."

The Satedan listened as he was told about the family back home that the other man clearly missed, especially his sister. He listened as he was told about a big famous bridge in his home city that looked so beautiful at night all lit up; and much more. He barely spoke himself, figuring that it was best just to let Lorne – Evan, he corrected himself inside his head – talk, so that he stayed awake.

More time passed, and Ronon found he was listening more to the Major's voice than what he was actually saying, until the smaller man gave a contented sigh and said "Mmmm, that's nice." He assumed Lorne was seeing bunnies again until he realised that he'd unconsciously been stroking Lorne's back, and tracing his fingers across broad muscular shoulders. At some point, Lorne had also rested his head on Ronon's chest, and had wrapped an arm around his waist.

Ronon froze, and felt Lorne tense too. "Uh, sorry" he said and moved to pull away, but Lorne held on to him.

"It's OK…keeping me warm." Blue eyes met hazel again, Lorne's brow wrinkled. "Don't stop, I'm starting to feel better. _Please?_" Ronon wasn't sure what to do, but given that Lorne feeling better meant that they'd get home quicker, he slid his arm around him again.

Lorne settled himself back onto Ronon's chest, holding his waist more firmly before he spoke again. "Your turn, tell me about you".

The bigger man again felt uncomfortable. He'd only had a few brief conversations with Lorne before today, outside of their previous mission; and certainly not about himself. Apart from what he'd told them when he arrived in Atlantis, he'd given no further information out. Figuring that Evan would forget all about it, he began to talk his time as a soldier, and about Sateda.

Ronon was distracted from his reminiscing by a hand stroking his thigh, fingers tracing the grain in the leather of his trousers. "Lorne, what are you doing?" He expected Lorne to stop, but he didn't. The Satedan also became acutely aware of the fact that he'd been more relaxed than he had in a long time; and this prolonged physical contact was quickly making him hard. Shit, not good!

Ronon shifted his hips away, and lifted the Major's arm off him. "If you're feeling better we should head to the Gate." Looking around him, he saw that the rain has eased slightly, but was still quite heavy. "Come on, get up" he said. Lorne was looking at the ground, ignoring the instruction to move. He licked his lips and opened his mouth to speak.

"Wanna know a secret?"

It sounded like he was nervous, and when Ronon looked more closely, he saw that the Major was blushing. He was really curious now! "What secret?"

Lorne unsteadily shifted onto his knees at Ronon's side and took a deep breath. "I've got such a crush on you…but I'm not supposed to. Don't tell!" Lorne raised his finger to his lips. "Shhhh" he whispered, not noticing the shocked look on Ronon's face. Chuckling to himself he sat back down. Ronon watched as he licked his lips again, mumbling about wanting some more water, and purple coloured bunnies as he pulled the coat back towards him. "Can't we stay a little longer? Just until the rain goes off?"

Ronon knew they shouldn't stay; he should be getting Lorne back to Atlantis, but for the time being they were safe and relatively dry. He looked back down at the injured man, and found he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He settled back down hesitantly. "OK, just a few more minutes and that's it."

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Lorne threw the coat around them both, moving in closer. Looking at the rain and feeling cold again, Ronon didn't protest when he felt the heat of both an arm and leg drape over him; or the weight of the head resting on his shoulder. He also didn't protest when soon after, Lorne's fingers moved back along his thigh; and against his better judgement, he wrapped his arm back around the injured man**.**

He felt himself relaxing, enjoying the contact again, the hard muscle under his fingers. His eyes shot open when, for the second time, he felt himself getting hard. He felt Lorne's arm brush over him and froze, there was no way he hadn't felt it. Swallowing deeply he glanced at the Major, who had a sleepy smile on his face.

"Don't worry about it!" he said, and gently pressed himself closer to the taller man. Ronon's breath caught as he realised he wasn't the only one in that state. He watched as Lorne reached for his still damp jacket, and sighed deeply. "I think we've waited long enough for the Jumper, you're going to have to take me home, Ronon. We might be needed back on Atlantis. They should've been here by now, something must be wrong. "

Ronon put his coat back on in silence, feeling more than a little embarrassed. He didn't know what to say or do. He'd found a couple of guys attractive in the past, but never had the physical reaction he's just experienced. Lorne however, appeared to be taking it in his stride.

Clearing his throat, he asked "How's the head?"

Lorne ran his fingers over the bandage and raised an eyebrow, saying "It's still there… hurts like hell though. I'm gonna need some aspirin and good night's sleep."

Ronon gathered their belongings, and put his arm around Lorne's waist. "You still don't look steady enough to walk far."

Lorne smiled and held onto the taller man. "Thanks."

"Here we go" Ronon said as the Gate came into sight. Lorne had become slower and heavier during the trip to the Gate, clearly exhausted. As he dialled Atlantis' co-ordinates, the Satedan met Lorne's eyes once again and noticed that they didn't appear to have _quite_ the same glazed look as before. He looked more lucid, and seemed to be able to focus better, but still looked like death warmed up.

As the wormhole opened, Lorne quickly and gently leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Ronon's lips. "Thanks for staying with me." Immediately he turned and walked unsteadily into the shimmering mass, leaving a shocked and confused Ronon to follow him.

Stepping back into the Atlantis Gateroom, they were met by McKay's anguished shouting. "I _said_ I'm _trying_ Elizabeth! I'm running every diagnostic I can; I don't know why we couldn't dial."

As the Gate's shield closed behind them, Weir quickly headed down the steps towards them. "Ronon, Major, I'm so sorry. As soon as Rodney and Carson arrived back with Colonel Sheppard, there was some kind of unexplained…?" she turned to Rodney.

"Energy spike." McKay drawled in a bored voice. "Some kind of energy spike which somehow made it impossible for us to dial out to come and get you. I don't know why yet, and like I keep telling you, _I'm working on it_!"

Ronon turned to look at Lorne was now looking decidedly queasy, and when he spoke he was slurring worse than ever.

"It's OK Dr. Weir… I'm…I'm f-f-fine now." He put his hand to his temple again, staggered then passed out cold, falling in a heap on the floor. Ronon dropped to his knees and rolled the Major over. There was blood soaking through the bandage on his head, he had a fast swelling lump on his temple and a split lip where he'd hit the floor. Judging from the mark on his cheekbone, he was going to have an impressive bruise there too. Elizabeth tapped her comm. piece and called for a medic to come to the Gateroom urgently.

By the time she'd finished speaking, Ronon had slapped Lorne on the cheek to check for a response, and getting none he hoisted the limp muscular form into his arms and set off for the Infirmary as quickly as he could.

Carson was waiting for them, and nodded to an empty bed. Ronon laid Lorne on it, nervously explaining that he'd been conscious most of the time before they'd got back. The doctor patted the Satedan's shoulder reassuringly.

"It's alright lad, you did a great job. He's safe and home thanks to you." Ronon watched anxiously as a couple of the medical team tended to the Atlantis XO.

"He will be OK won't he, Doc?" he asked, hearing the worry in his own voice.

"He'll be fine, leave it to me." Go and get yourself some rest big man."

"No!" he said, more forcefully than he meant to. "Er…can I stay for a while? How's Sheppard? Can I see him? What about the other teams, do we know anything about the attacks?" He knew he was babbling, but he didn't feel right just…leaving.

Carson sighed and smiled at Ronon, "You can't do anything for either of them at the moment. I'll be keeping the Major overnight for observation. Colonel Sheppard will be recovering for some time. Everyone else is shaken up, some cuts and bruises, but nothing they won't get over. Like I said, get some rest. Come back tomorrow."

After a restless night's sleep, Ronon showered, dressed and headed for the Infirmary. He approached Sheppard's bed and heard Weir telling him that, yes, Ronon had shot him and that he'd deserved it! Smiling to himself, Ronon muttered "That's never gonna get old." He decided to go back and see Sheppard later…there was no point overcrowding him after all.

He hesitantly hovered outside Carson's office, unsure whether he should ask about Lorne or not. He turned to leave, until he heard the doctor's voice.

"Ronon!" he smiled. "What can I do for you?"

"Just came to check on the patients." he said. "Weir's with Sheppard, so I'll come back later."

Carson smiled again. "Major Lorne's been asking after you. Come on." he said cheerily. "He's awake and up to a quick visit." He walked over to a cubicle and pulled back the curtains, "The Major here has been telling me what he remembers from his injury until getting back to Atlantis."

Ronon felt his mouth go dry. "And…and what's that? What do you remember?" he said, his words coming out in a rush. He glanced nervously over at Lorne, wondering what he was going to say. He held his breath, as the Major cleared his throat, licked his lips, and began to speak.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As Ronon stood waiting for the reply, he took a second to really look at Lorne. He had an even bigger bandage on his head than before, the bruise that Ronon had predicted was forming nicely, and his lip looked painfully swollen.

The Major pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Tell the truth Doc, there's not much to remember. Like I said, there was the explosion, we set off back to the Gate and then it's mostly a blur until I woke up here with the hangover from hell!" He licked his lips. "Can I get some more water please, Doc?"

"Of course you can lad, I'll be right back!"

Ronon let out a deep breath as soon as Beckett left the cubicle. He and Lorne looked at each other for a few seconds before he approached the chair next to the bed. "You mind?"

Lorne smiled softly, "Not at all!"

Ronon sat, and found himself nervously playing with his hair. "So? Um…you really don't remember anything from back there?" He watched as the other man concentrated.

"I remember talking about home." His brow furrowed as he continued, "I remember… the rain, being cold…so cold."

Ronon gulped, if Lorne remembered that he'd be likely to remember more if he thought about it. He decided to steer the conversation away from the dangerous territory they were bordering on. "When do you get out of here?"

"Doc says it should be later today, or maybe tomorrow. He's taking me off active duty for a couple of days. I'm gonna be bored out of my skull." As he said it, he tapped on his head, visibly wincing as he did so. "Well that was clever!" he said, rubbing the area of skull he'd just bashed. Looking startled and frowning at Ronon he said. "Hey, I'm OK."

Only then Ronon realised he'd stood and approached the bed. Clearing his throat, he felt his face flush. "Um… yeah, sorry." Trying to prevent himself feeling more flustered than he was, he said "So when do you get out of here?"

Lorne couldn't help the smirk spreading across his face. "I'm supposed to be the one with memory loss here Ronon, you already asked me that!"

Now Ronon really was flustered. He retorted quickly, although his voice was soft. "At least I'm not the one who was seeing different coloured animals!"

Lorne's jaw dropped and he blushed deeply. He brought his hands to his face, and through them he could be heard to say "Oh shit!" he looked up at Ronon. "Bunnies? Oh God, please tell me it wasn't bunnies?"

"Blue ones no less." he said, chuckling at the memory. "Green too…I think they were even purple at one point."

Lorne joined in the laughter, and smiled warmly at Ronon, before clearing his throat. "Did I say…anything else?"

"Uh, no…no I don't think so." Ronon rubbed the back of his own neck, trying to think of something to say. "It's a bit of blur for me too…I didn't get much sleep."

The Major laughed nervously, and looked down at his hands. He opened his mouth to say something, but obviously changed his mind. "OK, that's…er…that's good I think."

Ronon signalled to the door, "I'd best be going." He turned to leave, and he heard the sigh behind him.

"Hey, thanks for staying with me Ronon. I said that, didn't I?"

Remembering exactly _how_ Lorne had said thanks, Ronon felt his face flush again. This was getting ridiculous.

"Er, yeah…yeah you did."

"Oh, good. I'd hate you to think that I didn't appreciate it." His voice quietened as he added, "I don't think… I… not everyone would've kept me warm the way you did."

Ronon's heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest as he turned to look back at him. "You…you remember that?"

Lorne smiled a sad smile. "I lied to the Doc, I remember everything." he said, suddenly intent on pulling a stray thread from the cotton sheet over his waist. "But it's OK. I know you don't feel…" he sighed deeply, "I know you would've done the same for any of us."

Ronon was frozen to the spot. He didn't know how to react to all the things going on in his head. He opened his mouth, but at that moment Carson came in carrying a large jug of iced water. He was grateful for the interruption, because he had no idea what he was going to say.

"Here we go Major, nice and cold. This'll quench your thirst!" He poured a large glass and handed it to his patient before turning to the Satedan, "I think the Major should get some more rest now big man. You could always come back later."

Ronon swallowed and looked at Lorne. As their eyes met, he found himself saying "I think I might just do that." A small smile passed between them before he turned and left.

Ronon arrived in the infirmary the following morning, just as Lorne was being discharged. Carson was removing the final bandages from the Major's head. "It's OK Doc, you can stop fussing now."

Carson looked mildly offended, then smiled and shook his head. "Some people are so ungrateful, you're lucky to have a doctor with such a caring bedside manner!"

All three laughed, knowing it was true. The whole of Atlantis knew just how good Carson was, and how much he cared about his patients.

Rolling his eyes, the Scotsman said "OK Ronon, he's all yours. He's a terrible patient, take him away from here!"

"Hey, that's no way to treat your charges!" Lorne scolded playfully.

"Just take him away…please!" he laughed, before heading to the next cubicle.

Ronon gave a small smile, then cleared his throat. "What was that all about?"

"He said I was the second worst patient he's treated in Atlantis. Says I won't sit still, OR do as I'm told." he snorted.

"He got that right!" Ronon smirked. "Come on, let's go before you do yourself any more harm.

Lorne playfully pushing Ronon's shoulder, "Watch it, smartass!"

They walked quietly for a while, and then Ronon remembered some of Carson's words. "Beckett said you were the _second_ worst patient? Who's worse than you?"

Lorne stopped and shook his head, "You're kidding, right?"

Ronon was puzzled, "No, I don't know."

Setting off at a slow walk again, Lorne shrugged and said sarcastically, "You're a piece of work, you know that?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, it'll come to you eventually!" he said, poking the taller man in the ribs.

As they approached his quarters, the Major was rapidly blushing. "You didn't need to walk me home you know!" he said with a nervous laugh, and swiped the door panel.

"I guess I kinda wanted to make sure you got back OK." the Satedan replied, feeling himself beginning to blush as well. What the hell was the matter with him? "Sheppard would kick my ass if I let his second in command get into trouble again on my watch!"

"Well, thanks anyway." he said, taking a step closer looking deep into Ronon's eyes.

Nervously, Ronon looked up and down the corridor, making sure there was no-one about; and this time it was him that leaned in and gently placed a kiss on the other man's lips. "You're welcome, Lor.. _Evan_."

The shorter man smiled, "See you later?"

"Sure, that'd be good. Just you though, don't bring the coloured bunnies!" he snickered.

Swiping his hand over the door to his quarters that evening, Ronon came face to face with Lorne, who had his arm raised, obviously to ring the doorbell.

"Hey!" they said simultaneously.

Lorne raised the other hand in which he held a six-pack of Bud. "Wanna have a drink? I'm still thirsty!" he said with a wink.

Both men smiled broadly as they sat on the bench on the East pier with a beer in one hand, the other laid lazily on the bench between them.

"So?" Ronon said playfully.

Looking around suspiciously, Lorne asked "So…what?"

Hazel eyes met blue as the Satedan said "Maybe this time you won't pass out on me."

Lorne laughed, and tentatively took Ronon's hand in his. "That all depends on how worn out I get."

Ronon slowly opened his hand and entwined his longer fingers into Lorne's smaller ones. "You'd better get yourself some coffee then Major, because I think it might be a late night."

Lorne rolled his eyes, and with a grin said, "If you say so!"

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~

End notes: I hope you enjoyed the last chapter; and thank you for sticking with me:)


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